Language is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought
Recent article in Nature challenges the notion of language primarily for thought, emphasizing its role in communication. Language is viewed as a tool for cultural knowledge transmission, co-evolving with human cognition.
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Language is discussed as a tool for communication rather than thought in a recent article published in Nature. The authors present evidence from neuroscience suggesting that in modern humans, language primarily serves as a means of communication, challenging the idea that language is mainly used for thinking. They introduce the brain network supporting linguistic ability, discuss the separation between language and thought, and highlight language properties optimized for communication. The article concludes that while language has transformed human culture, it is not a prerequisite for complex thought but a powerful tool for transmitting cultural knowledge. The emergence of language is seen as co-evolving with human thinking capacities, reflecting rather than causing the sophistication of human cognition. The discussion emphasizes the role of language in cultural knowledge transmission and its relationship with human cognitive abilities.
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2 commentshttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40756176
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